CJ Abrams and James Wood headline a young Nationals core looking to make noise in Anaheim as Washington faces the Angels in a West Coast showdown.
Coming off a close series loss to the San Diego Padres, Washington is going through one of the worst stretches of the season. Back-to-back tough series come to an end with the Nationals on the losing end. Things may get easier while the Nationals continue their West Coast trip, heading back to Los Angeles not to take on the Dodgers, but the Angels.
Washington’s young stars have been turning heads all season. CJ Abrams has been one of the best offensive shortstops in baseball, and James Wood has been among the best players in the sport. MacKenzie Gore has solidified himself as a top left-hander in the game, but the rest of the team has yet to perform anywhere near the young stars of the team. Disappointing lineup from top to bottom, Washington’s season is drifting away, game by game.
Los Angeles had no expectations heading into the season, and they have “sorta” exceeded expectations. While being an older team, young stars Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, and Logan O’Hoppe have started to change the narrative in Los Angeles. Mike Trout is still the leader of the squad, but has been in and out of the IL this season. Sitting around .500 almost halfway through the season, Angels fans cannot be disappointed with what they have seen so far this season. And things could continue to trend upward, especially with the recent promotion of their most recent first-round pick, Christian Moore.
Let’s take a deeper look at the Los Angeles Angels’ 2025 season.
TEAM STATS
OFFENSE
With Hall-of-Famer Mike Trout experiencing a down year, up-and-coming stars Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel have played well offensively. This is a team that boasts considerable power throughout its lineup; however, outside of home runs, the Angels rank low in offensive rankings. As a team, they are batting .227 (29th), have scored 338 runs (18th), have hit 118 home runs (3rd), have an on-base percentage of .292 (29th), and have a slugging .405 (10th).
PITCHING
The starting rotation and the bullpen had low expectations heading into the season, so it isn’t shocking to see them near the bottom in most pitching categories. However, off-season acquisition Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano have been an underrated 1-2 combo at the top of the rotation. As a team, they have a 4.49 ERA (24th), have allowed 103 total home runs (7th), a 1.44 WHIP (28th), and teams are batting .262 against them (27th)
GAME ONE – Friday, 9:38 PM EDT
WAS: RHP Jake Irvin (6-3) – 16 G, 4.18 ERA, 66 SO, 1.23 WHIP, 96 ERA+
LAA: RHP Jose Soriano (5-5) – 16 G, 3.39 ERA, 80 SO, 1.42 WHIP, 122 ERA+
Jake Irvin has had his ups and downs, just like most pitchers. But he has had a solid season, especially in his last start. Against the reigning World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Irvin threw six innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs and earning the victory.
At just 26 years old, Soriano is earning himself a long-term spot in the Angels’ rotation. Even with a 1.42 WHIP, Soriano has played stellar this season, posting a 3.39 ERA. In his last start, he pitched a gem, throwing 6.2 innings and allowing just three hits, one earned run, and striking out ten batters in an Angels’ victory.
GAME TWO – Saturday, 9:38 PM EDT
WAS: RHP Michael Soroka (3-5) – 10 G, 5.06 ERA, 59 SO, 1.09 WHIP, 79 ERA+
LAA: RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-6) – 15 G, 4.83 ERA, 55 SO, 1.32 WHIP, 86 ERA+
Soroka has shown flashes of the potential he displayed early on in his career; however, it is always just flashes for the 27-year-old. He pitched well in his last start, throwing 5.1 innings, allowing two hits, three earned runs while striking out ten batters. Unfortunately, Washington’s bullpen was dismantled once again, displaying an embarrassing performance in a brutal loss.
Hendricks is a shell of his former self, and he now serves as an innings-eater for Los Angeles. At 35 years old, Hendricks is showing his age with his performance, maybe drawing near to a great career in the big leagues. In his last start, he threw five innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs in a loss against the Houston Astros.
GAME THREE – Sunday, 4:07 PM EDT
WAS: LHP Michael Parker (5-8) – 16 G, 4.59 ERA, 59 SO, 1.32 WHIP, 87 ERA+
LAA: RHP Jack Kochanowicz (3-8) – 16 G, 5.49 ERA, 59 SO, 1.55 WHIP, 75 ERA+
Lefty Mitchell Parker has the durability to be a starter in the big leagues, but the talent is not consistently there. His last two starts have been quality starts, which is what Washington desperately needs. In his last start, he threw six innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs in a win against the San Diego Padres.
Kochanowicz’s second year in the majors has not been as good as his first year, posting career lows across the board. In his last start, he threw five innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs while the Angels defeated the Boston Red Sox.
This is a great chance for Washington to get back on their feet after back-to-back brutal series losses. Abrams and Woods have shown how great they can be in this league, so at least Washington has a core foundation to build on for the future. At this point, I truly do not know if they will try to build around them. This organization has not shown any kind of urgency since winning the World Series in 2019, which is now six years ago.